Accent Reduction Classes
Get Heard For What You Say Not How You Say It
Stop being asked where you’re from, stop being asked to repeat yourself and stop avoiding certain words in conversation.
Transform the way you speak online or in-person (Stroud, UK) with renowned voice and accent coach Ashley Howard.
Trusted By The World’s Most Influential Brands
Clarity And Confidence
Speak Without Hesitation And Improved Intelligibility
Meet Ashley
Leading accent reduction coach Ashley Howard combines rigorous technical understanding from his MA in Voice Studies and 18 years of coaching experience working with people from around the world of all ages and backgrounds, to enable you to speak up at work and socially with confidence and clarity with a focus on pronunciation, stress, rhythm and connected speech.
ACCENT REDUCTION TRAINING
Get Assessed
Start with a comprehensive assessment covering pronunciation targets, vowel and consonant sounds, intonation, rhythm, word stress, sentence stress and connected speech with clear goals and a tailored practice plan. You’ll know exactly what to work on, how many sessions it’ll take and how much time and practice you’ll need to put in so as to speak the way you want to speak.
ACCENT REDUCTION COURSE
Structured Classes
Online or in-person step by step lessons, targeted on your specific challenges, with a tried-and-tested, jargon-free methodology that enables you to make immediate and noticeable changes to the way you speak using minimal pairs, mouth posture work, and practical IPA guidance, plus drills for voicing, word/sentence stress and natural rhythm.
Game Changing Results
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![Allison O’Gorman client of Ashley Howard voice coach]()
An expert in his field! Excellent practical exercises and insights. Highly recommended to anyone looking to improve their communication and presentation skills in any way.
Allison O’Gorman | Lawyer at Mason Hayes & Curran LLP
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![Lawson Steele client of Ashley Howard voice coach]()
Superbly insightful, very calm and understated. A real pleasure to work with.
Lawson Steele | Carbon Strategist
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![Asha Kishore client of Ashley Howard voice coach]()
Fantastic teacher! Skilled, knowledgeable, patient, flexible and understanding. He instills confidence and optimism. An enlightening and thoroughly enjoyable journey!
Dr Asha Kishore | Head of Clinical Excellence Aster Medcity
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![Paul Craddock client of Ashley Howard]()
I came to Ashley to help with speech, media and communication skills in advance of my book release. He was incredible and I recommend him to everyone.
Dr Paul Craddock | Cultural Historian and Author of Spare Parts
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![Dr Carolina Ramirez-Figueroa client of Ashley Howard voice coach]()
Ashley has been a fantastic coach, he has been helping me to improve my communication skills. He is highly professional and I couldn't recommend him more.
Dr Carolina Ramirez-Figueroa | Senior Research Tutor Royal College of Art
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![Mahmoud Alesheikh client of Ashley Howard]()
I am very lucky and privileged to be trained by Ashley. The training helped me to feel so much more competent and confident as a news anchor. Thanks!
Mahmoud Alesheikh | TV and Radio Senior Presenter BBC
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![Pilar Sanchez Roa client of Ashley Howard voice coach]()
“Highly recommend! I’m much more effective and confident in my communication skills during business reviews, meetings and presentations.”
Pilar Sanchez Roa | Commercial Manager at QinetiQ
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![Roman Stahlman client of Ashley Howard voice coach]()
I worked with six coaches before and Ashley is by far the most experienced and professional coach I've ever worked with. His knowledge and techniques are outstanding.
Roman Stahlman | Actor
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![George Dikaios client of Ashley Howard voice coach]()
Ashley is excellent! Professional, deeply knowledgable, always supportive and creative. I saw immediate improvement in the way I spoke and my confidence. Highly recommended.
George Dikaios | Resilience & Business Support Officer House Of Commons
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![Antoaneta Pop client of Ashley Howard]()
Great coach. Easy to work with! Quickly understands what you really need and helps you to accomplish it! Very knowledgeable and I would definitely recommend him!
Antoaneta Pop | CEO R.E.P.R.E.S.E.N.T
ACCENT REDUCTION LESSONS
Homework
A manageable, achievable practice routine, including short daily exercises for vowels, consonants and connected speech, designed around you, that fits easily into your schedule, which builds what you learn into habits so that you can speak in a new way without having to think about it.
ACCENT IMPROVEMENT CLASSES
Feedback On Progress
Get accurate and actionable feedback in every session with clear notes on phonemes, intonation, stress and fluency, so you know exactly what progress you are making and what to focus on in order to continue improving and experiencing noticeable changes in the way you communicate.
Businesses
And Teams
Invest in colleagues who are great at their jobs but struggle to communicate effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are accent reductions classes?
Accent reduction - also called accent softening, accent modification, accent improvement and accent neutralisation - is the process through which an accent is reduced or modified towards another accent such as British English RP. Classes target clearer pronunciation (vowels, consonants, stress, rhythm and connected speech) to improve clarity and intelligibility in real-world contexts.
Who are accent reduction lessons for?
An accent reduction tutor helps non-native and native English speakers who feel that their accent holds them back in either their personal or professional life for (presentations, interviews, meetings and everyday conversation) from communicating fluently, efficiently and with confidence.
What do you do in an accent reduction coaching session?
Based on an assessment, Ashley focuses on three or four aspects of vowel or consonant pronunciation, intonation, rhythm, word stress, sentence stress or flow and connected speech in each session, helping you hear, feel and understand what you currently do, how to change and then how to practice and integrate into real speech.
Is accent reduction coaching suitable for children?
Accent reduction classes are suitable for any age, as long as the individual has personally chosen to modify their speech and wants clearer pronunciation.
Are accent reduction classes worth it?
To change life long habits takes time and practice. For some it’s longer than others but Ashley has worked with people from 16 through to 72, and they have all achieved their goals in clarity, confidence and intelligibility.
More FAQs below.
Transformative Results
-
![Lawson Steele client of Ashley Howard voice coach]()
Superbly insightful, very calm and understated. A real pleasure to work with.
Lawson Steele | Carbon Strategist
-
![Allison O’Gorman client of Ashley Howard voice coach]()
An expert in his field! Excellent practical exercises and insights. Highly recommended to anyone looking to improve their communication and presentation skills in any way.
Allison O’Gorman | Lawyer at Mason Hayes & Curran LLP
-
![Asha Kishore client of Ashley Howard voice coach]()
Fantastic teacher! Skilled, knowledgeable, patient, flexible and understanding. He instills confidence and optimism. An enlightening and thoroughly enjoyable journey!
Dr Asha Kishore | Head of Clinical Excellence Aster Medcity
-
![Paul Craddock client of Ashley Howard]()
I came to Ashley to help with speech, media and communication skills in advance of my book release. He was incredible and I recommend him to everyone.
Dr Paul Craddock | Cultural Historian and Author of Spare Parts
-
![Dr Carolina Ramirez-Figueroa client of Ashley Howard voice coach]()
Ashley has been a fantastic coach, he has been helping me to improve my communication skills. He is highly professional and I couldn't recommend him more.
Dr Carolina Ramirez-Figueroa | Senior Research Tutor Royal College of Art
-
![Mahmoud Alesheikh client of Ashley Howard]()
I am very lucky and privileged to be trained by Ashley. The training helped me to feel so much more competent and confident as a news anchor. Thanks!
Mahmoud Alesheikh | TV and Radio Senior Presenter BBC
-
![Pilar Sanchez Roa client of Ashley Howard voice coach]()
“Highly recommend! I’m much more effective and confident in my communication skills during business reviews, meetings and presentations.”
Pilar Sanchez Roa | Commercial Manager at QinetiQ
-
![Roman Stahlman client of Ashley Howard voice coach]()
I worked with six coaches before and Ashley is by far the most experienced and professional coach I've ever worked with. His knowledge and techniques are outstanding.
Roman Stahlman | Actor
-
![George Dikaios client of Ashley Howard voice coach]()
Ashley is excellent! Professional, deeply knowledgable, always supportive and creative. I saw immediate improvement in the way I spoke and my confidence. Highly recommended.
George Dikaios | Resilience & Business Support Officer House Of Commons
-
![Antoaneta Pop client of Ashley Howard]()
Great coach. Easy to work with! Quickly understands what you really need and helps you to accomplish it! Very knowledgeable and I would definitely recommend him!
Antoaneta Pop | CEO R.E.P.R.E.S.E.N.T
More Frequently Asked Questions
Are your accent reduction classes online?
Ashley has been delivering accent reduction classes worldwide online since 2010 via Zoom and other platforms, which makes it convenient and accessible.
Are online accent reduction lessons as effective as in-person?
Yes — with high-quality audio, targeted drills and recorded homework, online is equally effective.
Do you offer accent reduction classes near me?
Ashley offers in-person accent reduction classes in Stroud, Gloucestershire UK, but also online worldwide.
How long are coaching sessions?
Each coaching session is 50 minutes.
How many sessions will I need?
After your assessment you’ll get a plan. Most clients have 5 – 15 sessions depending on goals and practice time.
How often should I book coaching sessions?
Most clients see Ashley once every 2 weeks, so that they have time to absorb the learning and practice but not so much time that they lose motivation. However, you can book in as frequently as you want based on your schedule and budget.
Do you offer evening or weekend classes?
Yes — online Tue–Thu 7:45–21:30, Sat 8:00–13:00 UK time.
In-person (Stroud) Tue–Thu 8:45–15:30, Sat 11:00–13:00.
How much do accent reduction classes cost?
You can find all the details of Ashley’s fees and how to book a session on his prices page.
Invest In Yourself
Take control. Speak the way you’ve always wanted to speak.
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